Ash tray



July 7, 1931 .7 w 35 sMlTH I 1,813,467

ASH TRAY Filed May 4, 1927 Patented July 7, 1931 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM DE FORD SMITH, OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO ASH TRAY Application filed May 4, 1927. Serial No. 188,772.

The present invention relates to improvements in ash trays and has for its object to provide a simple article of manufacture embodying a combined cigarette support and extinguisher which performs its function either as a support or as an extinguisher depending upon the position of the cigarette with relation to the wall of the tray.

i- I am aware that heretofore devices for this purpose have been proposed, wherein recesses have been employed into which the lighted end of the cigarette may be introduced and by pressure causing choking of the burning end. Further than this, it is customary to form in the walls of a tray relatively wide transverse grooves in which a cigarette may be temporarily disposed, but these grooves are designed solely for the purposeof rests to prevent the accidental rolling of the smoking article into the tray or off of the same. Such grooves, however, do not perform the function of extinguishing as do the corresponding elements of my device, primarily because theydo not snugly confine the ar- 2 ticle.

In the patent to Sandridge 1,526,645, dated February 17, 1925, it is proposed to mount a special tube on a tray into which a cigarette may be inserted for extinguishment by reason of the formation of carbon monoxide gas but obviously this cannot be utilized except for this purpose.

In distinction from these prior constructions, I have discovered that if an open groove is formed in the tray wall of a diameter closely conforming to the diameter of the cigarette, the latter may be disposed therein and it will continue to burn until it has been consumed upto the point corresponding with the very end of the groove whereupon it will immediately go out. Therefore this groove may constitute a rest to temporaril hold the article without quenching its burning action if it is not desired to discontinue the smoking of it, while on the other hand when it is desired to put out'the cigarette it is only necessary to lay it in the groove with the burning end close to the end of the groove and no further attention is necessary. Such an arrangement is particularly eifective as a guard against accidentally leaving a burning article which Will continue to burn until the whole is completely consumed.

It is further an object to provide a construction which will readily accommodate varying diameters of cigarettes without loss of its eflicacy as an extinguisher.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ash tray constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View through one of the cigarette holding grooves.

It is to be understood that the term cigarette herein used is intended to include cigars or like smoking articles.

The device constituting my invention oomprises preferably a tray body or receptacle 1 which may be made of glass, metal or other suitable material by molding, casting, or other processes and in any desired general configuration. In the wall of the tray there is formed one or more transverse grooves 2 the walls of which taper slightly toward the base so as to accommodate cigarettes of varying diameters and so that such article when disposed therein will always be snugly received by the side walls but not so tightly as to interfere with ready displacement. Hence one may merely rest the cigarette in its seat in such manner that the burning end is removed from the wall, for example as indi cated at a in Figure 2, under which condition it-may be displaced for continued smoking. Where, however, it is desired to extinguish the cigarette it should be placed as indicated at b with the burning portion close to the end of the groove. The probable cause for the extinguishing action is that sufficient oxygen to support the combustion of the end of file tobacco is excluded by the surrounding wa s.

As shown the exterior of the tray wall at the grooves may be thickened to provide suiticient extension of the grooves to substantially support the cigarette for a major portion of its length and to prevent accidental tipping of the same and consequent danger from fire.

The extensions aforesaid are designated 2' in the drawings.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters EPatent, is

As a new article of manufacture, an ash receptacle having one or more transverse open grooves in the wall thereof, said receptacle wall being thickened at the points of the grooves so as to constitute contlnuations of the grooves to provide a substantially horizontal seat materially extending beyond the side of thereceptacle wall, the walls of each of the said grooves slanting inwardly toward each other to accommodate cigarettes of differing diameters, the grooves being of such width as to snugly engage the cigarettes therein at the sides thereof while permitting ready displacement of the cigarettes, and said grooves constituting extinguishing means preventing burning of the cigarettes beyond the points corresponding with the ends of the grooves and being capable of holding the cigarettes in a substantially horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM DE FORD SMITH. 

